Golf game.



W. D. LUKENS.

GOLF GAME. APPLICATION rum) 00w. 22, 1613. 1,1 12,924. Patented Oct. 6,1914.

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GOLF GAME.

APPLICATION FILED 001 22, 1913.

Patented 001 6, 1914.

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W. D. LUKENS.

W. D. LUKENS.

GOLF GAME.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 22, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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hm T WILLIAM I). LUKENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GOLF GAME.

Application filed October 22,1913. Serial No. 796,604.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 19.14.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, lVILLrAM D. LUKENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Golf Games, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates'to an improvement line 1, Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is abroken plan viewof the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3, Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a broken view showing a net hinged to the top of thepocket-containing folding casing in the position it occupies when theapparatus is folded; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the adjustable tee device; Fig. 7 is an enlargedsection on line 7 Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a view in rear elevation of thespring-actuated striking means employed for driving the ball.

The bed 9 of the apparatus is shown in its preferred form of a narrowand shallow rectangular oblong box, which may be of Wood. On the distalend of the box is hinged an open-faced, preferably wooden, casing 10- toadapt it to be folded against the upper side of the box, for compactnesswhen the apparatus is out of use or in transporting it, and to be raisedto vertical position for playing the game. The bottom of the easingshould incline slightly, as shown, toward the upper surface ofthe bed,and it contains a tier of pocket-forming shelves 11, which shouldincline, as shown, on their upper sides toward the open face of thecasing, and they form a space 12 between their rear or inner edges andthe casing-back 13. A not 14 is supported on the top of the casing toregister its open bottom with an opening 15 in the top leading to thespace 12, the net being shown to be secured to the upper end of thevertically extended casingface and sustained in the forwardly-tiltedposition represented in Fig. 1 by a rear stay-' bar 16. Each pocket isshown in Fig. 3 to bedenoted by a number marked on one side of thecasing-face to denote distance in yards, the numbers being arbitrary,though those herein used, namely 4080160- 1005025, read in the downwarddirection, sufiice for the explanation hereinafter contained of playingthe game.

On the forward end of the box is secured the ;tee-support or teeingdevice 17. It comprises a rectangular frame having parallel curved slots18 in its side-walls in which are guidinglty confined at their ends arms19 projecting rom opposite sides of a block 20 having a ball-seat 21 inits upper face and serving the purpose of the tee in the outdoor game ofgolf. A rack-bar 22 is rigidly connected at one end with the under sideof the block and extends through a central slot 23 in the rear end ofthe frame, beyond which it is provided with a handle 24. The bar '22 isshown to be curved for the purpose hereinafter stated; and flanges 25are shown to be provided along the sideedges of the top of the bed 9 andto converge toward the sides of the frame 17 for guiding a ball 26, usedin playing the game, back to the starting point.

At one side of the frame 17, near the adjacent end of the bed 9, rises apost 2? having a bifurcated upper end, in the arms 27 .of which isjo'urnaled a rock-shaft 28 (Fig.

8) surrounded by a spiral spring 29 fastened at one end to the shaft andat its'opposite end to an arm 27, whereby turning the shaft tensions thespring. 011 one end of this shaft is secured at an enlargement betweenits ends the handle of a club 30 to extend the head 30 on its lower endin alinement with a ball 26 in its seat on the block 20.

I preferto cover the top of the box 9 with green plush 31 to representthe putting green in the outdoor game of golf. At suitable distancesapart and from the frame 17 in alinement with the driving-head 30. holes32 and 33 are provided in the top of the box. At each hole is confinedin a cylin drical casing 34 below it a iston-like head 35 shown coveredwith the p ush 31 and held normally fiush with the surface of the boxtopby a spiral spring 35 confined about a stem 36 guiding the head1 Aspring-pressed handle equipped plunger rod 37 recipro eably supported ina side of the box 9, and provided one for each head 35, passes throughthe respective cylinder wall to enter a groove 38 in the head whendepressed, as I 35 v tors-a pocket, drops down the Space 12 and shown,and lock the latter until released by withdrawing the rod to permit thespring to raise the head to its normal position.

In playing the game with my apparatus, the player, by manipulating thebar 22 and looking it at its teeth in the slot 23, adjusts the block 20with reference to the elevation of the net, or of a particular pocket inthe vertical casing, or to the level of the top of the bed 9. With aball seated on the tee thus provided, he presses forwardly the handle ofthe club 30 to tension the spring 29 suitably, according to his judgment, s0 that on releasing the handle the recoil-force of the springwill be just sufficient, in striking the head 30 against the ball, todrive it into the pocket or other goal aimed for.. The curve in the bar22 takes it out of the path of the swinging driving-head.

A suitable score-card, setting forth the,

number of pretended yardsinthe course, also from the tee to the firsthole and from the latter to the second hole, and also prescribing whatconstitutes par and .what constitutes, bogey, is furnished each playerthough players may, of course, play their own games, using suchscore-cards as they wish.

Each drive or attempted drive with the swinging club 30 is counted astroke. If the ball misses the pocket aimed for and rebounds from theedge of a shelf 11, the

' drive counts a stroke the same as if, in the regular game, the ballwere in a hazard, pond, ditch or the like.- When the ball enreturns fromthe bottom thereof to the green 31, the stroke counts for distance, orthe number of yards indicated by the .number denoting the pocketentered. If the a driven ball enters a pocket but strikes the back orsounding-board 13 and rebounds therefrom throu h the pocket upon thegreen, the stro e is termed a bunker, and before the distance blenotedby that pocket can be counted, the player must make the bunker, which isrepresented by the elevated net 14; and the number of strokes used toenter the ball into the net constitutes the number thereof necessary toget out of the bunker, to be totaled with the score. VVhe'n this bunkerhas been made, the distance denoted by the particular pocket thusentered may be added to the yards previously made.

For putting, the teeing-block 20 is adjusted to its lowest position inthe frame 17 to bring it on a level with the green, and the adjacentpiston-head is depressed to open the first hole; and it is locked in thelowered position by its rod 37. When the player has made the first holeon driving the ball into it by operating the club, the rod 37 should bewithdrawn to unlock the re and permit raising thereof spoctive head-35by its spring 35' to normal position. For

I without missing ,strokes playing the second hole its head 35 isadjusted in the same way as described in connection with the first hole.hole on the putting green represents the five-yards putting hole, or anydistance under five yards, Any distance over five yards and up to tenyards has to be played in the second putting-hole 33 in the same way asalready described with relation to the first hole 32. In other words, itis necessary to the pockets within ten yards of. the total distance tobe accomplished before being permitted to putt on the green. For

example, if the distance for driving be 485 yards, the player would haveto make the 160-yard pocket 11 three times, thereby making a total of480 yards, or five yards less than the total distance, and would thenplay the first hole 32. If the distance to be covered be 500 yards, theplayer may make the 160-yard pocket twice for a total of 320 yards, thenthe 100-yard pocket and thereafter the 80-yard pocket, each once. Shouldhe make the 160-yard pocket when he only lacks, say, 80 yards of thetotal distance,

he would be 80 yards in excess of the total and would have to make the80yard pocket to come back to 500 yards.

With practice on my apparatus, a player will get to feel the extentrequired of tensioning the spring 29 by pressing the club to cause it todrive the ball to the desired point, and thus become skilful; but itwill nevertheless be practically impossible to acquire a degree of skillenabling the player to make each pocket aimed for and putt or getting abunker, and this adds to the interest in playing the game.

I realize that considerable variation'is possible in the details ofconstruction thus specifically shown and described,,and I do not intendby illustrating a single, specific or preferred embodiment of myinvention to be limited thereto; .my intention being in the followingclaims to claim protection upon.

.by Letters Patent is 1. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a tier ofpockets at one end of the bed, a support at the opposite end thereof, aball-seating block adjustable on said support for elevation relative topockets in said tier, and means for securing the block in its differentpositions of adjustment.

2. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a tier of pockets at one end ofthe bed, a support at the opposite end thereof, a ballseatin blockadjustable on-said support for elevation relative to pockets in saidtier, and a rack-device on the block for releasably fastening it in itsadjusted positions.

3. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a tier of pockets at one end ofthe bed, a frame at the opposite end thereof having curvedlyslottedsides, a ball-seating block supported in the curved slots to be elevatedand lowered for adjustment therein, and means for releasably securingsaid block in adjusted position.-

4. A game-apparatus comprisin a bed, a tier of pocketsat one end of thebe a frame at the opposite end thereof having curvedlyslotted sides, aball-seating block having arms movably confined in. the curved slots tobe elevated and lowered therein for adjusting said block on the frame,and a rack extending backwardly from said block through the rear end ofthe frame and releasably engaging therewith.

5. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a tier of pockets at one end ofthe bed, a support at the opposite end thereof,'a springactuated clubsupported to swing behind said support, and a ball-seating blockadjustable on said support for elevation rela tilvef) to said pocketsand to the path of said 0 u 6. A game-apparatus comprisin a bed, a tierof pockets at one end of the be a frame at the opposite end thereofhaving curved slots in its sides, a ball-seating block supported in thecurved slots to be elevated and lowered therein for adjustment on theframe, and a spring-actuated club supported to swing behind the frameover the ball-seat.

7. A game-apparatus comprising a box, a ball-seat supported at one endof the box, a spring-pressed club supported behind said seat to swingover it,a hole in the top of the box, a spring-raised depressible headconfined in the box at said hole to normally extend flush with the upperbox-surface, and means for releasably locking the head in its depressedposition.

8. A game-apparatus comprising a box, a ball-seat supported at oneend ofthe box, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seat to swing overit, a hole in the top of the box, a casing in the box at said hole, ahead supported to fill thehole on a guidestem in the casing having a sring confined about it, and a springresser rod working through a side ofthe box and the casing to engage and lock said head in its depressedposition, r

9. A game-apparatus comprising a box, a ball-seat supported at one endof the box, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seat'to swingover it, alining holes at intervals in the top of the box, a casing inthe box at eachhole, circumferentially-grooved heads supported to fillthe holes on guidestems in the casings having springs confined aboutthem, and spring-pressed rods working through a side of the box and theeasings to engage and lock said heads at the:

grooves therein in their depressed position.

10. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a ball-seat adjustably supportedat one end of the bed, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seatto swing over. it, and an openfaced casing at the opposite end of thebed containing a tier of pockets.

11. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a ball-seat adjustably supportedat one end of the bed, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seatto swing over it, and an openfaced casing at the opposite end of the bedcontaining 2. tier of pocket-forming shelves and a ball-space betweenthe inner edges of the shelves and the back of the casing.

, 12. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a

ball-seat adjustably supported at one end.

of the bed, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seat to swingover it, and an open-faced casing hinged at the opposite end of the bedto fold downwardly thereon and containing a tier of pockets and a rearball-space between the pockets and back of the casing.

13. A game-ap aratus comprising a bed, a ball-seat adjustab ly supportedat oneend of the bed, a spring-pressed club supported behind the seat toswing over it, an open-faced casing at the opposite end of the bedcontaining a top-opening, a tier of pockets and a rear ball-spacebetween the pockets and back of the casing, and a net supported on thetop of the casing and discharging to the opening therein.

14. A game-apparatus comprising a bed, a

ball-seat adjustably supported at one end of the bed, a spring-pressedclub supported behind the seat to swing over it, and an openfaeed casingat the opposite end of the bed I containing a top'opening, a tier offorwardly and downwardly inclined pocketforming shelves and a ball-spacebetween the inner edges of the shelves and the back of the casing, and a'net supported on the top of the casing and discharging to the opening11 therein.

WILLIAM D. LUKENS.

In presence of-- L. HEISLA-R, E. D. STEELE.

